The present invention relates to a new, novel and distinct variety of nectarine tree, Prunus persica, and which has been denominated varietally as ‘Burnectwenty’ hereinafter.
The present variety of nectarine tree resulted from an on-going program of fruit and nut tree breeding. The purpose of this program is to improve the commercial quality of deciduous fruit and nut varieties, and rootstocks, by creating and releasing promising selections of Prunus, Malus, and Regia species. To this end we make both controlled and hybrid cross pollinations each year in order to produce seedling populations from which improved progenies are evaluated and selected.
The seedling, ‘Burnectwenty’, was originated by us from a population of seedlings grown in our experimental orchards located near Fowler, Calif. The seedlings, grown on their own roots, were the result of seeds which were derived from an open pollinated seedling, B17.074 (unpatented). B17.074 was the result of a previous cross of the yellow-fleshed clingstone nectarine tree ‘September Red’ (U.S. Pat. No. 5,664), which was used as the seed parent; and the ‘Grant Diamond’ nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,095) which was used as the pollen parent. The open pollination of B17.074 occurred sometime during March 1998. Thereafter seeds from this open pollinated seedling were collected and then planted in September of 1998. One seedling, identified as I 9.076, which is the present variety, exhibited especially desirable characteristics, and was marked for subsequent observation. After the 2000 fruiting season, the new variety of nectarine tree was selected for advanced evaluation and repropagation.